ā Scam alertNovember 3, 2026
The Federal Trade Commission says scammers posing as FTC officials are calling people and threatening to shut off their phone numbers. According to the FTC's October 22, 2026 consumer alert, the callers read out a badge number, pass victims to a fake police officer, and eventually ask for money.
The short version
Who's warning: The FTC (alert dated October 22, 2026)
Who it targets: Anyone with a phone number
How it reaches you: A phone call from someone claiming to be an FTC official
The giveaway: A threat to deactivate your number and a demand to send money
How the scam works
According to the FTC alert, the call starts with someone claiming to be an FTC official. The caller says a phone was registered under your name and number and is being used to commit scams in another country. The FTC says the caller reads out a badge ID, and that the badge ID is fake. The caller then threatens to deactivate your phone number if you don't cooperate, the FTC says. The alert says the caller next transfers you to a fake police officer so you can supposedly file a report.
The FTC says that if you hesitate, the scammers may tell you to hang up and call the police department back yourself, and may even tell you what to search for to find the number. According to the FTC, the people who answer that call are part of the scam. The alert says the fake officer then asks for your ID and personal information and tells you to keep everything secret. Later, the FTC says, the caller claims you are under arrest and must travel to another country, unless you send money as a "security deposit." The FTC says none of it is true.
What the FTC says
The FTC's alert lists things a real FTC employee will never do: ask you to send money or connect you to someone who tells you to, threaten to disconnect your phone, tell you to keep conversations secret, or text you a photo of their employee ID to prove who they are. The alert, as summarized in the research, did not include loss figures or a count of victims. The scammers are posing as the FTC, and the agency is the one warning people about the calls.
What to do
Hang up if a caller claims to be from the FTC and threatens your phone number, asks for money, or tells you to keep the call secret. The FTC says a real employee won't do any of those things.
Don't send money or share your ID or personal information. Don't rely on a number or search tip a caller gives you to "verify" them, since the FTC says the people who answer are part of the scam.
Read the FTC's alert and report scams at the FTC's consumer alert page.
The FTC posted the alert on October 22, 2026. It says a real FTC employee will never threaten to disconnect your phone.
Sources
FTC Consumer Alerts: The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number, October 22, 2026
This story is based on the records and reports linked above. Charges, lawsuits, and other accusations are claims, not findings of guilt or liability, unless the story says a court has ruled.